I am still open to correction and still very much a work in progress but I do not blindly follow the one system that said it was the only truth and all others are on the precipice of heresy.
There is no fault in allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. That believers are "open to correction and still very much a work in progress" is the same attitude (imo) that the Apostle Paul desired for the assemblies, or he wouldn't have written his letters.
Isaiah had such warmth and comfort in the writing he was given from God. From the opening lines of the first words, "Comfort, comfort my people" there is that thread that God does not reject His own.
When he writes "Do not fear, for I am with you" the heart echos the words of Christ, "I am with you always."
God challenges those to bring evidence that their god(s) are capable to answer, but none can.
So He points to (imo) the church age (Isaiah 42:1-8) from the sending of "My chosen one" who teaches those of heaven a "new song" (verse 9-10).
Then that time of destruction upon those that are ungodly.
BUT, God, through Isaiah, does not want the people of Jacob to be alarmed and dismayed, so He restates, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you." The world system will be destroyed, but you are mine.
However, because the folks of Israel did not follow the Lord, he will bring punishment to them, too.
But again, He, speaking through Isaiah, brings comfort, for He does not reject but restores. Others will chase after all manner of worship and idols, but "You, Israel, will not be forgotten of me."
I could go on reviewing that wonderful section of Isaiah, but this post would be longer than what Isaiah wrote.
It is a wonderful section of Scriptures!
For those who are still reading this post, the difficulty of selecting a view of past eschatology thinking is that the old theologians had not the frame of reference from which to construct their view of prophecy. They relied upon their old theologians, who in turn relied upon their old theologians...
In the modern times, the world events have shown that more and more of the prophetic statements that could only be put in word pictures, and by some old theologians all but ignored, can now be taken as fact, as literal.
Israel is not just the political / social group of the OT or the church of the NT, and never the two will meet. Nor, is Israel the term for only the redeemed, and never again to refer to the political / social group. That is the thinking of those who would adopt views that had yet to experience the modern of our time with its destructive forces and a literal nation.
But one can now understand the prophecies in the lite of witnessing how God did cause the political / social group to again be formed (as the prophets indicated would happen) and therefore, it is reliable that the prophecy concerning the spiritual restoration prophecies of that group will also happen.
(Imo),the recognition that such fulfillment has happened, is happening, and will happen is what (considering this is the season of Christ's birth) the motivation caused the wise of the east to be led to the house where the Child lived.
Personally, I rejoice, when I read that one is willing to be shown by Scriptures an error and to allow growth. It happens to me, and I understand the joy from the Lord such brings.
Too often, there are those who are so "locked" into some scheme and they would find themselves in both internal turmoil and external scorn should it be found out they were even considering another view to investigate.
I am well blessed by those on the board who exercise great care and much use of Scriptures when they present their views. And more confident that the Holy Spirit will ultimately guide the seeking readers into all truth as we banter back and forth on these topics.
